Steve Jackson Games Forums - Medieval Horse Types and Traits

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Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen (Post 873670)

Many of your CFs look quite low. I can easily imagine a player making a Very Wealthy character and then buying a totally pimped horse, as part of his starting equipment.

These people would be known as 'knights'.

The intent is that no self-respecting member of the warrior elite would ride horses at the prices given in the Basic Set.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen (Post 873670)

Also, it might help if you include some rarity guidelines, like "any horse with a CF total of more than 3 is Rare, thus difficult to find although usually available in cities, any horse with a CF total of more than 10 is Very Rare, and any horse with a CF total of more than 15 is Extremely Rare", except of course more elaborate, and talking about horse trainers, and different levels of horse-focus in different cultures (Rohan versus Gondor, e.g.).

Perhaps it would, but I'm not sure that I could write such a thing. I use these rules in a vaguely Medievalish setting, not actual medieval Europe, and any such guidelines would of necessity be world-specific.

In addition, horses with high CFs were historically not all that uncommon. After all, horses didn't qualify as actual warhorses unless they cost about $25,000 and they often ran far higher.

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander (Post 873751)

There are none, no.

But then again, it's not like there are unassailable sources for much of the other typologies either. Usage tends to be unscientific in the extreme and a period of one generation is more than enough for the meaning of a term to evolve. And we're discussing hundreds of years.

And the term doesn't seem to have been used until after the medieval period according to the OED. Do you have a cite for that poem? It may push the etymology of the term back a few years.

[qoute] All in all, we've got a choice between going with the classification system that's both consistent and logical as well as being attested in one primary source or going with the more accurate, if pedantic, view that most of these terms had more than one meaning in different areas or periods and that it is impossible to classify historical horse types in any non-arbitrary way.[/QUOTE]

Almost all of the terms describe a particular function for a horse while skewbald merely describes the color. You might want to try the term 'nag'. It is late Middle English and describes a small riding horse or pony. The Ellesmere Manuscript (the Canterbury Tales) depicts the Friar riding on such an animal though the mount is not described in the text that I can find.

Otherwise excellent work. Will you be filling in various pony breeds such as the Wesh and the Icelandic Ponies?

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander (Post 873755)

These people would be known as 'knights'.

You're not telling me that every time a player in your campaign creates a Very Wealthy character, and buys himself a totally pimped horse during character creation, you'll insist relentlessly that the character has to be a knight.

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Actually a Knight doesnt have to buy it, it is usually his lord who does. This is especially true to loyal retainer knights and isnt the case from Second Sons who'se family can afford to give them the starting equipment for the job of man-at-arms.

In the Patron Advantage, the patron can provide as much as the Characters' Starting Wealth in Equipment and even more. So for 10cp all the knights standard equipment, regardless of his budget can be covered by his lord. Although some lords grant these as gifts to the knight as part of the "hiring" fee, so at 15cp (+50%) the knight starts out with equal his wealth in equipment and more depending on the lord.

The nice thing about this rule is that, it is ambigous about how much equipment. Which leaves it to your best educated guess.

Great Job Icelander :D

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen (Post 874263)

Eh, no. Not in my vaguely Medievalish world, no.

In historicaly Europe, though?

What do you call wealthy men whose function in warfare was determined by their ability to field an expensive horse?

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander (Post 874276)

What do you call wealthy men whose function in warfare was determined by their ability to field an expensive horse?

Hippeis, equites, caballeros, chevaliers, ritters....

Cnihts are "boys". As in "Pay up, or I'll send the cnihts 'round".

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander (Post 874276)

What do you call wealthy men whose function in warfare was determined by their ability to field an expensive horse?

"Sir."

tencharlimit

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander (Post 874276)

What do you call wealthy men whose function in warfare was determined by their ability to field an expensive horse?

Chuck Norris.

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander (Post 874276)

What do you call wealthy men whose function in warfare was determined by their ability to field an expensive horse?

Pike fodder, pin cushion, tin can, high priority target, mobile loot, ransomable assets - other terms as the mood strikes. :)

Re: Medieval Horse Types and Traits

Can someone please direct me to the rules for Luxury pricing? Can't find them in the Basic Rules, can't find them in the Low-Tech book. Or perhaps I'm just missing them....?

Thanks,

T.